The True Cost Movie
We’ve all been swayed by those $5 H&M and Old Navy tank tops- how can you resist that kind of price? Drawn to the irresistible call of a bargain, we love owning a variety of clothes that we can discard over the next season. At some point though, we have to ask ourselves what the price is behind fast fashion.
The True Cost is about who pays the price behind the cheap clothes that we purchase. The documentary discusses the Bangladesh fire factory in 2013, where over 1,000 workers were killed in an unsafe work environment. Even more heartbreaking was seeing citizens in third world countries with deformities: much of the water supplies and their environment have been tainted as a result of continuous pesticide use for cotton.
According to True Cost, the United States alone generates over 11 million tons of textile waste per year. While we may think that it is easy to recycle clothes, most of it ends up in Haiti. Why not invest in classic pieces instead that are made sustainably and will last years?
So what are some alternatives to fast fashion? Buying fair trade is a great way to support artisans who are compensated justly for their products. For instance, Joybound Apparel has been working with an artisan from Bolivia to create handmade Sucre Clutches: look how gorgeous it is!
Madia & Matilda- Celine Top
Supporting handmade or upcycled clothes is also a great way to add to sustainability in whatever country we live in. Those of you who know me that I adore purchasing clothes from Etsy from fellow small business owners. The gorgeous Celine top by Madia & Matilda (available on Sustainably Chic’s site) caught my eye. Shalize Nicholas, the creator of Madia & Matilda, specializes in sustainable and upcycled clothing by using old vintage garments and sustainable fabrics to create new beautiful pieces of work.
The True Cost Movie can be seen here via Amazon, iTunes, VHX, Amazon Instant, or Blu-Ray/DVD.
Have you seen the True Cost Movie? What are your thoughts on alternatives to fast fashion? Let me know in the comments below!
If you love watching documentaries, check out Plastic Paradise on Netflix- my thoughts on it are here on the blog.
Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/23/world/asia/report-on-bangladesh-building-collapse-finds-widespread-blame.html?_r=0
http://truecostmovie.com/
http://fairtradeusa.org/#
